Lex, how did you get started in the adult entertainment industry?
I went to Syracuse University. I graduated in 1993. From '93 until '98 I was a Wall Street Stock Broker. With one of the firms I worked for, my office was located on the 36th floor of the World Trade Center. If I hadn't gotten into porn and stayed in high finance I would have been in those towers on September 11th.
In 1997 I started doing some regular mainstream modeling. Some folks suggested I get involved with adult modeling so by March of 1998 I was in Los Angeles working in adult film. I completely gave up finance because I said to myself, "Damn, I've always wanted to do porno, and I can always fall back onto corporate America." I went out to LA with enough money to sustain myself for three months and the plan that, if I made it, great, if not, I'd return to the Wall [Wall Street]. Things worked out!
I'll say! Your many awards in the industry include two-time winner of the AVN [Adult Video News] Male Performer of the Year. What's the best part about being an adult entertainer?
I get to work with a huge number of beautiful women who are between the ages of 18 and 22.
(laughing) You got it made man!
Oh, yeah! I get to travel: I've literally been on 5 of the 7 continents. I've had women from all over the world, from Brazil to Tokyo. You name it. When I do leave the industry, I'll take the memories of the traveling with me. Those are the times I am able to bond and get comfortable with the people I work with. That's important because when that cameraman or director is shooting you in a sex scene, you are at the utmost level of comfort and you can do what you have to do in front of them in front on the camera.
Has it ever been uncomfortable having sex on camera?
Yes. I got my feet wet in New York prior to coming to LA. The big difference between New York & LA for me was the volume of work. In New York I was shooting one or two scenes a month. To do one scene and to do it well, you think you're the man. But once you move to the major leagues in Los Angeles, it's every single day you have to prove your metal.
In NY, we always shot at the Waldorf Astoria and I always knew the cameraman and the director: the only variable was the girl. In LA, every single day it's a different girl, different director and location, different variables. These are things that can really throw some salt in your game.
Sounds like a lot of pressure. What's the worst part of being an adult entertainer?
The worst part is the risk to your life. Let's be frank. Everyone is PCR-DNA tested every thirty days. But you are still rolling the dice on a regular basis. How do I know that on any given day my test will come back a "license to thrill" or a death certificate?
But Aids isn't the only problem in the business. Most of the action is shot bareback [without condoms] and STDs are rampant. I've been in this business 4 years; if I don't know what herpes looks like, I don't know what the back of my hand looks like. I don't have it, but, man, there have been several situations where I have looked at a girl, said, "I don't know what THAT is," and refused to do a scene. I was in Budapest, Hungary, doing a scene on a golf course. The director and producer have this girl, and her ass looks like it was on fire! I wasn't going there for anything! I told them get another girl or put me on a plane back to the States. I keep a watchful eye over my body. Because of my job I have to consistently monitor my body.
You've built a great physique. What are your workouts like?
I work out 6 days a week. I focus a lot on cardio. I start with 2 miles on the treadmill. I'm not jogging- I'm doing a 7 & 1/2 minute mile. I do a lot of abdominal movements. Abs are the most important muscle group in adult film next to one's dick. The reason being is there are a number of positions wherein I'm able to move my hips in a certain way and for a certain amount of time because my abs are so strong. The ability for me to thrust my hips with rapidity is based on the strength of my abs.
What kind of exercises do you do for your abs?
I do a lot of crunches, lots of hanging leg lifts. There's a vertical crunch machine I really like. I train my obliques with side-bends, grasping a 45-pound plate in either hand. I switch my exercises up and never do more than 3 ab exercises on any given day.
What about the rest of your body? Do you prefer free weights or machines?
I focus a lot on curls and work with dumbbells. In the industry I am able to do a lot of things other guys cannot do because I do work out all the time. For example, if I take a woman into a reverse cowgirl position [woman riding on top of man, facing his feet] and I decide to stand up-that's tough to do! Most of these women weigh anywhere from 100 to 125 pounds. When I curl I use the Olympic bar with a 45 pound plate on each side. This way I am able to curl women on camera and into various positions. My workouts allow me to hold positions for 3 to 5 minutes compared to some out-of-shape guy who can only hold a position for 30 seconds. That gives the director a lot of great footage.
A lot of the male actors in the industry look like crap.
I'm in the gym religiously at 7:30 every single morning. I wear a skully, a nylon jacket over a sweat suit, sometimes with a vinyl suit over that. I'm attempting to raise my body temperature to an abnormally high rate.
To burn fat?
Partly, but mainly because I will not experience a melt-down in any circumstance on camera because of the lighting of a set. People have to understand that on a set there are 4 or 5 big lights and these things make you sweat. Many guys start to sweat and they start to break down on camera and that can lead to loss of an erection, which in my business is something to be avoided at all costs.
I never even thought about that, man!
I'm a pro at this. I have to think about these things.
Where do you train?
24-hour fitness in Northridge. Actually North Hills, California.
There are some people who would say that all pornography is violence towards women. What's your take on that?
There are certain productions that do cater to that and aim to degrade and denigrate womanhood. There is a market for that and these people are supplying that market. But that's not what I do. What I do is sex. I work with Anabolic and Diabolic Video. Their videos are not about degrading women. We're shooting the act of sexual intercourse; it's not about brutalizing women. It is about having sex with that woman in ways that the common man cannot. A lot of guys watch me because they feel uncomfortable doing some of the stuff I do on camera to his wife or girlfriend. I satisfy a need these men have. I remember the Friday nights at home alone, without female companionship. Make no mistake: I make movies for men to masturbate to. I understand that.
We thank you Lex!
Granted, if couples like it -- that's great! I fully understand that, when I'm working, gentlemen out there are superimposing themselves upon me, into the scene, so that they can enjoy the scene. They live vicariously through me. Some guys watch basketball. They can't be Michael Jordan, but they can watch his games. You can't be Lexington Steele, but you can watch his movies. On top of that, I have fans that look for me. I had my favorite male stars when I was younger. I wouldn't rent a movie unless a particular male actor was in it. Today I am that guy for many men. I owe it to them to get my ass in the gym so that I don't look slack in my movies.
I went to Syracuse University. I graduated in 1993. From '93 until '98 I was a Wall Street Stock Broker. With one of the firms I worked for, my office was located on the 36th floor of the World Trade Center. If I hadn't gotten into porn and stayed in high finance I would have been in those towers on September 11th.
In 1997 I started doing some regular mainstream modeling. Some folks suggested I get involved with adult modeling so by March of 1998 I was in Los Angeles working in adult film. I completely gave up finance because I said to myself, "Damn, I've always wanted to do porno, and I can always fall back onto corporate America." I went out to LA with enough money to sustain myself for three months and the plan that, if I made it, great, if not, I'd return to the Wall [Wall Street]. Things worked out!
I'll say! Your many awards in the industry include two-time winner of the AVN [Adult Video News] Male Performer of the Year. What's the best part about being an adult entertainer?
I get to work with a huge number of beautiful women who are between the ages of 18 and 22.
(laughing) You got it made man!
Oh, yeah! I get to travel: I've literally been on 5 of the 7 continents. I've had women from all over the world, from Brazil to Tokyo. You name it. When I do leave the industry, I'll take the memories of the traveling with me. Those are the times I am able to bond and get comfortable with the people I work with. That's important because when that cameraman or director is shooting you in a sex scene, you are at the utmost level of comfort and you can do what you have to do in front of them in front on the camera.
Has it ever been uncomfortable having sex on camera?
Yes. I got my feet wet in New York prior to coming to LA. The big difference between New York & LA for me was the volume of work. In New York I was shooting one or two scenes a month. To do one scene and to do it well, you think you're the man. But once you move to the major leagues in Los Angeles, it's every single day you have to prove your metal.
In NY, we always shot at the Waldorf Astoria and I always knew the cameraman and the director: the only variable was the girl. In LA, every single day it's a different girl, different director and location, different variables. These are things that can really throw some salt in your game.
Sounds like a lot of pressure. What's the worst part of being an adult entertainer?
The worst part is the risk to your life. Let's be frank. Everyone is PCR-DNA tested every thirty days. But you are still rolling the dice on a regular basis. How do I know that on any given day my test will come back a "license to thrill" or a death certificate?
But Aids isn't the only problem in the business. Most of the action is shot bareback [without condoms] and STDs are rampant. I've been in this business 4 years; if I don't know what herpes looks like, I don't know what the back of my hand looks like. I don't have it, but, man, there have been several situations where I have looked at a girl, said, "I don't know what THAT is," and refused to do a scene. I was in Budapest, Hungary, doing a scene on a golf course. The director and producer have this girl, and her ass looks like it was on fire! I wasn't going there for anything! I told them get another girl or put me on a plane back to the States. I keep a watchful eye over my body. Because of my job I have to consistently monitor my body.
You've built a great physique. What are your workouts like?
I work out 6 days a week. I focus a lot on cardio. I start with 2 miles on the treadmill. I'm not jogging- I'm doing a 7 & 1/2 minute mile. I do a lot of abdominal movements. Abs are the most important muscle group in adult film next to one's dick. The reason being is there are a number of positions wherein I'm able to move my hips in a certain way and for a certain amount of time because my abs are so strong. The ability for me to thrust my hips with rapidity is based on the strength of my abs.
What kind of exercises do you do for your abs?
I do a lot of crunches, lots of hanging leg lifts. There's a vertical crunch machine I really like. I train my obliques with side-bends, grasping a 45-pound plate in either hand. I switch my exercises up and never do more than 3 ab exercises on any given day.
What about the rest of your body? Do you prefer free weights or machines?
I focus a lot on curls and work with dumbbells. In the industry I am able to do a lot of things other guys cannot do because I do work out all the time. For example, if I take a woman into a reverse cowgirl position [woman riding on top of man, facing his feet] and I decide to stand up-that's tough to do! Most of these women weigh anywhere from 100 to 125 pounds. When I curl I use the Olympic bar with a 45 pound plate on each side. This way I am able to curl women on camera and into various positions. My workouts allow me to hold positions for 3 to 5 minutes compared to some out-of-shape guy who can only hold a position for 30 seconds. That gives the director a lot of great footage.
A lot of the male actors in the industry look like crap.
I'm in the gym religiously at 7:30 every single morning. I wear a skully, a nylon jacket over a sweat suit, sometimes with a vinyl suit over that. I'm attempting to raise my body temperature to an abnormally high rate.
To burn fat?
Partly, but mainly because I will not experience a melt-down in any circumstance on camera because of the lighting of a set. People have to understand that on a set there are 4 or 5 big lights and these things make you sweat. Many guys start to sweat and they start to break down on camera and that can lead to loss of an erection, which in my business is something to be avoided at all costs.
I never even thought about that, man!
I'm a pro at this. I have to think about these things.
Where do you train?
24-hour fitness in Northridge. Actually North Hills, California.
There are some people who would say that all pornography is violence towards women. What's your take on that?
There are certain productions that do cater to that and aim to degrade and denigrate womanhood. There is a market for that and these people are supplying that market. But that's not what I do. What I do is sex. I work with Anabolic and Diabolic Video. Their videos are not about degrading women. We're shooting the act of sexual intercourse; it's not about brutalizing women. It is about having sex with that woman in ways that the common man cannot. A lot of guys watch me because they feel uncomfortable doing some of the stuff I do on camera to his wife or girlfriend. I satisfy a need these men have. I remember the Friday nights at home alone, without female companionship. Make no mistake: I make movies for men to masturbate to. I understand that.
We thank you Lex!
Granted, if couples like it -- that's great! I fully understand that, when I'm working, gentlemen out there are superimposing themselves upon me, into the scene, so that they can enjoy the scene. They live vicariously through me. Some guys watch basketball. They can't be Michael Jordan, but they can watch his games. You can't be Lexington Steele, but you can watch his movies. On top of that, I have fans that look for me. I had my favorite male stars when I was younger. I wouldn't rent a movie unless a particular male actor was in it. Today I am that guy for many men. I owe it to them to get my ass in the gym so that I don't look slack in my movies.
